These days, after the passing of such luminaries as Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, we can now appreciate death as a smart (& horizontal) career move. Unintended, perhaps, but nothing sells more music than an early demise and proper estate planning.
Just ask Elvis. He left the building... and the world... some 35 years ago, yet his fame and wealth continue to grow. In fact, 95% of Elvis is now owned by a single investment group. And it's not Lisa Marie, her mother or any of the Presley family.
That heavenly sound you hear is that of a cash register laughing.
Which brings us to the clever coupling of Pepper Mills (Salty Brine) and Play-It-Again Sam (Justin Levine.) Yes, Pepper 'n Sam are dead... or at least their alter egos are... and it appears there are plenty of egos to go 'round in that Big Vaudeville House in the sky.
"Semi-famous" before flaming out in long-ago theatre fire, Pepper 'n Sam are tragically stuck in today's vaudeville circuit along with their back-up band, The Dead Poets Society. If you gotta have a gimmick, it might as well be a ghostly one. As Pepper might intone: Who you gonna call? Bra Busters?"
Now why, you may ask, does this pair of ghouls fascinate us so? Well for starters, nothing says vintage like the dead. From their vintage costuming, House of White Pancake makeup and swinging/rock 'n roll lifestyle, these two kids scream retro from beyond the grave.
Not only is this one hard act to follow, but it's a double homicide to describe. So where do we begin?
Firstly, Pepper & Sam are a brother and sister act... sort of. Personally I find this really refreshing... in the same way the Carpenters were refreshing. With no sexual dynamic between them (Thank, God), this becomes more a family act, though not in a "G" rated sense. No, Pepper & Sam love and support each other without the baggage that say... Steve & Edie... or the Captain and Tennille had to lug around and/or pretend... even though the Captain was more Teller than Penn.
What remains is an unconditional support of the other sibling. OK, Sam is an oversexed lothario who's had more pussy than an animal shelter in the Spring... but his vocal range and musical abilities compliment the fact that he clearly packs a large pianist. Pepper may wave a disdainful finger at his love for the ladies, but she keeps a watchful eye on her troublesome little brother. If nothing else, death has brought them closer together; in the end, they only have each other. That... and the memories of a wildly theatrical music career.
And what can be said about Pepper Mills? She too is not above using her sexual wiles to stop nothing less than World War I. (Oh, yes... their clever cabaret act is a virtual world tour of historical events which, in one fashion or another, these two have had a finger... or some other appendage in.)
However for as much a vamp as this is camp, Pepper is still very much a Lady (again, sort of.) Her pre-atomic vocals play the musical field like the underground stylings of the Manhattan Project. Together, these two are mega-tons of fun to watch, hear and fear. I mean, they are ghosts afterall. Something in this show will spook you... and it may very well be Pepper's big surprise!
Their latest tour is called: "Pepper 'n Sam: Whatever Possessed Them?" and it's an apt question. Shades of Kiki (Justin Bond) & Herb may shadow this duo, but their career has an afterlife of it's own (unlike the now truly defunct K&H.) Comparisons may abound: K&H were old vaudevillians; Pepper 'n Sam go one step further into an early grave. Some of their mutual material is a bit too close for comfort, but let's face it: When a ghost sees an opening, it goes for it. Clearly there is a void with K&H gone; and again, what is death but one big "void" to avoid?
My best friend and I recently saw these "Apparitions from Prohibition" as they call themselves at a dead-cool space known as Ars Nova at 511 W. 54th in NYC. (ArsNovaNYC.com.) However, Pepper 'n Sam can be dug up around town and across the country at various alternative music clubs, if not a cemetery or three. If there's a piano and a well stocked bar, look for them underneath both.
Also check out more of their videos on YouTube; follow them on Facebook for their next (dis)appearance. I do feel that some of their BEST material was not represented online. You just have to see them live... or as live as they get... which is pretty damn lively for doubly dead crooners. They routinely bring down the house...if not the mausoleum.
The grave bottom line? Their greatest talent is morphing musical genres via melodies which cross the centuries-- Clever, funny, unexpected, perhaps unsettling, but that's just what good little Ghosties do best.
I, for one, am a fan for life... and even after that.
Here's to Pepper 'n Sam: May you be dead forever-- Your greatest hits are still to come!
AliasDanny@Rocketmail.com
www.WhenDannyMetSally.com
Copyright WDMS 2012
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